About Me, Adrian Rooke

I have practised as a therapist for nearly 25 years, predominantly as a person-centred (Rogerian based) counsellor, although during my career, I have studied and applied many other therapeutic techniques and modules in order to be of best use to my clients. I am also an accredited counselling supervisor.

As a qualified family practitioner, some of the proudest moments of my career has been the recognition that I have received for the support which I have been able to offer to the families of addicts and alcoholics.

My career has been predominantly working within the field of addiction beginning at The Advisory Counsel for Drugs and Alcohol in Bristol, where I was responsible for organising outreach departments around the city; and facilitating one-to-one counselling and group work.

Three years later, I accepted a position at Broadway Lodge – one of the premier addiction treatment centres in the United Kingdom and Europe. The ethos of the organisation is a 12-step program, based around the teachings of Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. I worked at Broadway Lodge for 17 years, beginning as a counsellor, progressing to senior counsellor, and then Primary Care Co-Ordinator, where I continued counselling clients, but also managed the Primary Care Department, and the supervision of 8 therapists. At any time, we would have up to 40 clients in treatment.

Some of my most enjoyable moments were running the various external programs that Broadway Lodge offered, including The Family Program which is a 3-day residential retreat for the families and friends of addicts or alcoholics. These retreats offered the participants a clearer insight into the behaviours and consequences of addiction, and taught them how to establish healthy boundaries within their relationships with the addict.

I also ran The Recovery Renewal Program for individuals who were in recovery, and wished to deepen their understanding of the opportunities and challenges of their new life, now free of addiction. During these residential retreats, they learnt new life skills, enabling and supporting them to deal with the challenges of life effectively, without them having to fall back on their addictions in order to cope. For many, these were life changing experiences.

I also ran day care programmes, both within Broadway lodge ,and also for other organisations, companies and schools.

Over the years, I have written articles which were published in national magazines such as Addiction Today, and continue to provide professional information and advice for the press and media. I act as a UK based advisor and consultant for Twin Rivers Rehabilitation Centre, in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa.

The greatest satisfaction that I have been able to achieve in my career has been in witnessing the incredible and beautiful changes within the many thousands of people with whom I have had the joy to be a part of their recovery process. Their previously ruined lives, now resurrected from the ashes of their addictive destruction, and metamorphosed into the most incredible, interesting, hard-working and caring individuals.

I now practice as private generic counsellor although I continue to have a deep interest in addiction support and family counselling. Most of my work focusses on a wide variety of other addictions, such as gambling, compulsive eating, obsessive compulsive behaviour and co-dependency in relationships.

I believe that my greatest gift is that I come from a non-judgemental, open heart space, with my only goal being the well being and supporting that client in reaching their full potential in this human experience.